AZ Tech Council appoints three new board members, including WebPT co-founder Brad Jannenga

The Arizona Technology Council has appointed three new members to its board of directors.

The new board directors are: Brad Jannenga, WebPT co-founder and former president, who is about to announce more about his new software company; David Woody, American Express’ senior vice president of technology operations and transformation; and Chad Fogg, Uber Technologies’ operations and logistics manager for Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah.

“We’re fortunate to have both senior executives and young leaders interested in making positive changes in the technology community by becoming involved in boards such as ours,” AZ Tech Council President and CEO Steve Zylstra said in a statement. “The future of every community depends on the availability of talent, and we need every generation to be committed to making our goal of building a high-tech hub in Arizona a reality.”

Jannenga is well known in the startup community and in the Phoenix warehouse district, where WebPT has an office and is renovating a historic building to move into a new office later this year. He won an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award and a Phoenix Business Journal Tech Titan award, both in 2013. He also made the PBJ’s Top 40 Under 40 list.

Jannenga took a sabbatical from WebPT, whose president is now his wife Heidi Jannenga. He has been busy promoting the area’s thriving technology scene, investing in promising Valley startups and cooking up his new software venture he promises to announce soon.

“I plan to bring an entrepreneurial mindset to the board,” said Jannenga, who added he will be joining as the chairman of the entrepreneur committee.

Jannenga will also be receiving an honorary doctorate degree from the University of Advancing Technology in Tempe in May.

Fogg has a bachelor’s degree in management and entreprenurship and a certificate of international business from Arizona State University’s W.P. Carey School of Business. At Uber, he is responsible for business intelligence, fraud managament and pricing analytics.

By appointing Fogg to its board, the tech council is fulfulling part of its contract with the Manifesto Project of Arizona which is dedicated to making the state the place to be for young talent. Fogg will serve in a one-year, non-voting position but be actively engaged in advising fellow board members of the millennial point of view.

At American Express, Woody has global responsibilities for infrastructure operations, technology operations and governance oversight for all technology tranformation initiatives. He also leads the technology efforts to support the creation of the American Express Global Business Travel joint venture.

Woody has worked in various roles with American Express for more than 25 years. He has a bachelor’s degree in computer information systems from Arizona State University, where he also serves as the technology sponsor for the campus recruitment program.

The tech council board unanimously approved the new directors April 21.

The board includes 33 members, five of which are officers. Other companies represented on the board include Arizona Public Service Co., Cox Communications, Honeywell Aerospace, Insight Enterprises and Intel.

Hayley Ringle covers technology and startups for the Phoenix Business Journal.

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